Adjustable scaffold for supporting panels



May 2, 1967 A. T. HIGGINS ADJUSTABLE SCAFFOLD FOR SUPPORTING PANELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 4, 1965 lil m W S A 9 h. .I M r m h w @W A Y 6 w w k May 2, 1967 A. T. HIGGINS ADJUSTABLE SCAFFOLD FQR SUPPORTING PANELS '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1965 Fig.2

Arch 7'. Higgins INVENTOR.

BY M -Mrxm United States Patent 3,317,059 ADJUSTABLE SCAFFOLD FOR SUPPORTING PANELS Arch T. Higgins, 1601 S. 6th St.,

' Ponca City, Okla. 74601 Filed May 4, 1965, Ser. No. 453,019 7 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) This invention comprises a novel and useful adjustable scaffold for supporting panels and constitutes an improvement over my prior Patent No. 3,157,386.

In my prior patent there is disclosed and claimed an adjustable mobile scaffold adapted to elevate ceiling or roof panels in a substantially horizontal position to hold them against a ceiling or roof while they are fastened in place. The adjustable scaffold of that patent as well as of the instant application includes a mobile base of an open framework construction, a carriage of an open framework construction slidably and guidingly mounted upon the base for vertical travel relative thereto, elevating means connected to the base and carriage for effecting vertical travel of the carriage relative to the base, a platform mounted upon the top of the carriage and which serve to support the ceiling or roof panel while the latter was being raised and lowered. The same general elements are present in this invention with, however, certain additional features or improvements which greatly facilitate the operation of the device and enhance its utility.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide an adjustable scaffold specifically adapted for the elevation of either vertical wall panels or horizontally disposed ceiling or roof panels whereby the panels may be properly positioned in readiness for their being fastened in place.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device in accordance with the preceding object which through an improved construction of the carriage member and the connection of the elevating means thereto will effect a greater range of vertical movement of the carriage member than was possible with the construction of my prior patent.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable scaffold in conformance with the foregoing objects in which that platform member, carried by the top of the carriage element, is pivotally secured thereto in such a manner that it is self-adjusting whereby when a roof panel is supported thereby, and the carriage is raised against the roof of ceiling, the platform will tilt sufficiently to cause the roof panel carried thereby to be firmly and evenly held in place against the ceiling or roof thereby facilitating the attachment thereto.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device in conformance with the preceding objects which shall include securing means which will support in vertical position a vertical wall panel upon the carriage thereby enabling the panel to be raised in place in position to be fastened.

Yet another more specific object of the invention is to provide a device in conformance with the last-mentioned object wherein the vertical wall panel securing means includes supporting hooks adapted to engage and support the lower edge of the panel and which are horizontally swingable between a laterally projecting position from the scaffold where they may engage and support a wall panel and a retracted position within the scaffold where they will be out .of the way when not in use together with a retaining arm positionable to embrace and retain the upper edge of a vertical wall panel when the latter is supported by the lower supporting means and thus hold it firmly and securely in position as it is being raised or lowered by operation of the carriage member of the device.

These together with otherobjects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the adjustable scaffold of this invention, parts being broken away and with the scaffold being shown in its lowered position and supporting the vertical wall panel in readiness for lifting into position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical longitudinal section of portions of the apparatus of FIGURE 1, parts being broken away and showing in phantom the self-tilting feature of the platform member of the device;

FIGURE 3 is a further detail view in top plan and partly in horizontal section of the pivotal connection of the selftilting platform'to the elevating carriage;

, FIGURE 4 is a further detail view in perspective of the pivotal connection between portions of the carriage top and the platform frame;

FIGURE 5 is another detail view taken upon an enlarged scale and in vertical transverse section substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 and of the lower securing attachment means for supporting a vertical wall panel; and

FIGURE 6 is a still further detail view taken in vertical section and upon an enlarged scale substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now specifically to FIGURE 1 the adjustablescalfold in accordance with this invention is indicated generally by the numeral 10. As in the construction of my prior patent, it includes as its three main components a mobile base or supporting structure 12 upon which is mounted for guided vertical sliding movement a hollow frame-like carriage component 14 whose top portion carries thereon a self-leveling or self-adjusting platform indicated generally by the numeral 16. The mobile base 12 is of a hollow frame-like character including a plurality of vertical or corner standards 20 which are preferably angle members and which are rigidly connected together at the top and bottom and at other locations as desired by longitudinally and transversely extending beams 22 and 24 at the lower end and 26 and 28 at their upper ends. These beams are preferably angle members having vertical and horizontal flanges for a purpose to be subsequently apparcut.

The vertically movable carriage component 14 likewise consists of vertical standards or corner posts 30 whose upper and lower ends are likewise rigidly connected together by longitudinally and transversely extending beams 32 and 34 at their lower ends and 36 and 38 at their upper ends. The proportions are such that the angle corner members or standards 30 of the carriage are slidably and guidingly received within the corresponding corner standards 20 of the mobile base for guided vertical sliding movement therein.

Elevating means are provided connected to the carriage and to the base for effecting vertical movement of the carriage within the base. This elevating means preferably comprises a pair of transverse members 40 secured to the opposite corner or upright members 20 of the mobile base adjacent their upper ends and upon which is journaled a horizontal and transversely extending lift shaft 42 provided with a handcrank 44 for effecting rotation thereof. A conventional pawl and ratchet mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 50 is provided to enable the operator to maintain the carriage in adjusted vertical position upon the mobile base.

Inasmuch as the invention claimed herein does not retion thereof is deemed to be unnecessary.

It is, however, an important feature of this invention to so connect the elevating or lifting means to the base and carriage as to obtain an increased or maximum amplitude of vertical movement of the carriage. For this purpose, as shown in FIGURES l and 2, the lower transverse frame members 34 of the carriage are provided with downwardly and inwardly directed lift brackets 52 which may be of U-shaped configuration and as shown in FIG- URE 2 have the webs 54 of their lower portions disposed below the carriage 14 and within the mobile base 12. Tension members in the form of straps or other flexible elements 56 have their lower ends secured as by bolts 58 and wing nuts 60 to the web portion 54 of the lift brackets 52, while the upper ends are secured to the lift shaft 42 by any suitable fastening means such as that generally indicated at 62 as a retaining pin or the like. The arrangement is such that upon rotation of the lift shaft 42 by the handle 44, the flexible tension member 56 will be wound upon the lift shaft thereby lifting the carriage from a position below its lowermost portion. The attachment of the tension members to the carriage thus obtains the maximum lift of the latter.

A further important feature and improvement of this invention over the construction of my prior patent resides in the self-tilting or self-adjusting mounting or the platform component 16 upon the top of the carriage. For this purpose, the platform is constructed as a rectangular open frame including longitudinal and transverse generally horizontally extending beams '70 and 72 and which likewise are preferably of angle configuration including vertical and horizontal flanges. The longitudinal beams are adapted .to snugly embrace the corresponding beams 36 of the top portion of the carriage 14 in the manner shown clearly in FIGURE 4. It will be noted that each of these beams includes vertical and horizontal flanges. The horizontal flanges '72 of the platform longitudinal side beams constitute as do the corresponding horizontal flanges 74 of the corresponding longitudinal side beams 36 of the carriage stop surfaces which cooperate and engage with each other to enable the platform to be supported by the top of the carriage. However, there are also provided a pivotal connection between the platform and carriage consisting of a pair of pivot pins '76 which project laterally from the vertical flanges of the carriage top side horizontal beams 36 and are pivotally journ-aled in the vertical flanges 78 of the platform horizontal side beams 70. The pivots are preferably positioned in a manner displaced from the horizontal medial transverse axis of the platform or toward one end of the latter in such a manner that when a horizontally disposed ceiling or roof panel is resting upon the platform, and the carriage is then raised to its uppermost position to press this panel against the ceiling, the pressure applied thereto will effect tilting of the platform to ensure that the panel held thereon will be uniformly and evenly applied against the ceiling and held in place by virtue of this self-adjustment of the platform thus facilitating the fastening of the panel in place.

It will be appreciated that the cooperating horizontal flanges 72 and 74 comprise stop surfaces which limits tilting movement of the platform relative to the carriage.

Still another important feature of this invention and improvement over the construction of my prior patent resides in the provision of means for also securing and holding a vertical wall panel such as that indicated by the numeral 80 upon the carriage for raising and lowering by the latter into a position where it may be secured to a wall. The securing and holding means provided for this purpose consists of lower and upper holding members which engage the lower and upper edges of the wall panel to thus securely position it in vertical position upon the side of the carriage for movement therewith.

The lower holding means as will be now best apparent from a consideration of FIGURES 1, 2 and comprises a pair of L-shaped support brackets 82 which are fixedly secured to the lower portion of the carriage as at the juncture of the carriage corner post 30' with the carriage horizontal longitudinally extending lower beam 32. Two of these brackets are provided, one at each end of the carriage upon one side thereof which shall be considered a side which will be positioned adjacent the vertical wall to which the panel is to be applied. The lower holding means further includes a pair of horizontally swinging hooks each mounted on one of the support brackets 82. Thus, each hook includes a straight arm 84 having at its outer end a U-shaped member 86 comprising a pocket, recess or seat which is properly contoured to receive therein and hold the lower edge of the vertical wall panel 80 in the manner shown clearly in FIGURE 1 and suggested in FIGURE 5. At its other end, the arm 84 as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, is pivotally secured to the top surface of the support bracket 82 as by a pivot bolt 33 having a wing nut fastener 90 thereon. The arrangement is such that the arms 84 may be selectively pivoted about the vertical axis of the fastener 88 to an outwardly projecting portion as in FIGURES 1 and 5 in which they project outwardly beyond the mobile base and carriage and support and retain the lower edge of the vertical wall panel 80 therein, or a retracted position where they are folded or moved into the interior of the carriage and thus do not project outwardly beyond the base.

In addition to the lower holding means, there is also provided an upper holding means. This, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, preferably comprises a flat strip 92 in the form of an arm having at one end an angulated downwardly extending finger 94 adapted to overlie and embrace the upper edge of the panel 80. At its other end, the arm ,2 is provided with a resilient retaining hook 96 in the form of an inturned end portion with a rounded extremity 98 which is inherently resiliently urged against the main body of the hook so as to form a pocket therebetween. The arrangement is such that the member 92 may be hung from any convenient location such as the lift shaft 42 with the member 92 hanging downwardly therefrom when the device is not in use. However, when it is desired to use the device to secure the upper edge of a vertical wall panel 80, the member 92 is removed from the lift shaft 42 by sliding the member 92 relative to the shaft so that the latter passes from out of the pockets formed by the member 96 and the rounded extremity 98. Thereupon, the resilient hook portion 96 is snapped upon and secured to the corresponding longitudinal top beam of the platform and carriage with the member 92 overlying the platform and with its finger 94 positioned to embrace and retain the upper edge of the vertical wall panel 89. In this manner, the panel is held firmly at the lower and upper edges thereof in a vertical position whereby when the carriage is raised or lowered by the elevating means, the vertical wall panel may be properly positioned with respect to a wall surface to enable it to be efliciently fastened thereto.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An adjustable scaffold for supporting and elevating wall and roof panels comprising a mobile base, a carriage, means mounting said carriage upon said base for guided vertical sliding movement between lowered and raised positions, elevating means connected to said base and carriage and causing vertical travel of said carriage upon said base, means carried by said carriage for holding a vertical wall panel upon the exterior of said base and carriage for vertical movement with the latter, said holding means comprising hooks mounted upon the lower portion of said carriage and projecting laterally outwardly beyond said base, said lower portion of said carriage having support brackets, each hook being pivoted to a support bracket for swinging in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis between a retracted position within said carriage and a laterally extended position projecting outwardly beyond said base, said holding means including a retaining arm on said scaffold positioned to overlie said carriage and having a finger adapted to overlie, embrace and retain the upper edge of a vertical wall panel, said retaining arm having a resilient hook at the opposite end from said finger, said resilient hook being operable to suspend said arm from a portion of said base when not in use and to releasably secure said arm to said carriage when holding the upper edge of a vertical wall panel.

2. An adjustable scaffold for supporting and elevating wall and roof panels comprising a mobile base, a carriage, means mounting said carriage upon said base for guided vertical sliding movement between lowered and raised positions, elevating means connected to said base and carriage and causing vertical travel of said carriage upon said base, means carried by said carriage for holding a vertical Wall panel upon the exterior of said base and carriage for vertical movement with the latter, said holding means including a retaining arm on said scaffold positioned to overlie said carriage and having a finger adapted to overlie, embrace and retain the upper edge of a vertical wall panel, said retaining arm having a resilient hook at the opposite end from said finger, said resilient hook being operable to suspend said arm from a portion of said base when not in use and to releasably secure said arm to said carriage when holding the upper edge of a vertical wall panel.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein each first-mentioned hook comprises an elongated arm terminating in an upwardly directed, U-shaped, panel receiving pocket.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said elevating means comprises a horizontally disposed lift shaft rotatably journaled at the upper portion of said base, said carriage having lift brackets mounted thereon and extending therebelow, and flexible tension members secured to said lift brackets and said lift shaft and windable on said shaft for effecting lifting and lowering of said carriage.

5. The combination of claim 2 including a generally horizontally disposed platform on top of said carriage for vertical movement therewith, and means pivotally mounting said platform on said carriage for vertical tilting about a generally horizontal axis upon engagement with an angled, fixed overhead structure.

6. An adjustable scaffold for supporting and elevating wall and ceiling panels comprising an upright rectangular base having four vertical corner posts, an upright rectangular carriage also defined by four vertical corner posts positioned adjacent to and guided for vertical movement by the base posts, means engaged between said base and said carriage for vertically raising and lowering said carriage relative to said base, a pair of said carriage posts, defining one side of said carriage, each including an elongated horizontal arm projecting laterally beyond the corresponding side of the base, each arm terminating in an upwardly directed panel edge receiving hook portion for the reception of the lower edge of a generally vertically orientated wall panel therein, said hook portions, and the associated arms, being laterally spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of the corresponding side of the base, and a retaining arm mounted on the upper portion of said carriage and projecting perpendicularly outward from the side beyond which the hook portions are located at a point substantially centrally therebetween for engagement over the upper portion of a generally vertically orientated wall panel.

7. An adjustable scaffold for supporting and elevating wall and ceiling panels comprising an upright rectangular base having four vertical corner posts, an upright rectangular carriage also defined by four vertical corner posts positioned adjacent to and guided for vertical movement by the base posts, means engaged between said base and said carriage for vertically raising and lowering said carriage relative to said base, a pair of said carriage posts, defining one side of said carriage, each including an elongated horizontal arm projecting laterally beyond the corresponding side of the base, each arm terminating in an upwardly directed panel edge receiving hook portion for the reception of the lower edge of a generally vertically orientated wall panel therein, said hook portions, and the associated arms, being laterally spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of the corresponding side of the base, said hook portions and the associated arms, being mounted for retractable movement inwardly of the corresponding carriage side.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,415,895 5/1922 Obe-rmiller 254-3 1,697,364 1/1929 McCollum et al 214--1 2,035,321 3/ 1936 Koenigkramer et al. 214-1 X 2,524,085 10/1950 Saul 2141 2,677,580 5/ 1954 Minzenmayer 214-1 2,890,082 6/ 1959 McDaniel et al 182-144 2,972,207 2/ 1961 Hiers et a1. 1089 X 3,157,386 11/1964 Higgins 2544 3,181,711 5/1965 Stockton 214-1 3,223,199 12/1965 Schwehr 214-1 X MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE SCAFFOLD FOR SUPPORTING AND ELEVATING WALL AND ROOF PANELS COMPRISING A MOBILE BASE, A CARRIAGE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CARRIAGE UPON SAID BASE FOR GUIDED VERTICAL SLIDING MOVEMENT BETWEEN LOWERED AND RAISED POSITIONS, ELEVATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BASE AND CARRIAGE AND CAUSING VERTICAL TRAVEL OF SAID CARRIAGE UPON SAID BASE, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CARRIAGE FOR HOLDING A VERTICAL WALL PANEL UPON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BASE AND CARRIAGE FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT WITH THE LATTER, SAID HOLDING MEANS COMPRISING HOOKS MOUNTED UPON THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CARRIAGE AND PROJECTING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID BASE, SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID CARRIAGE HAVING SUPPORT BRACKETS, EACH HOOK BEING PIVOTED TO A SUPPORT BRACKET FOR SWINGING IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS BETWEEN A RETRACTED POSITION WITHIN SAID CARRIAGE AND A LATERALLY EXTENDED POSITION PROJECTING OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID BASE, SAID HOLDING MEANS INCLUDING A RETAINING ARM ON SAID SCAFFOLD POSITIONED TO OVERLIE SAID CARRIAGE AND HAVING A FINGER ADAPTED TO OVERLIE, EMBRACE AND RETAIN THE UPPER EDGE OF A VERTICAL WALL PANEL, SAID RETAINING ARM HAVING A RESILIENT HOOK AT THE OPPOSITE END FROM SAID FINGER, SAID RESILIENT HOOK BEING OPERABLE TO SUSPEND SAID ARM FROM A PORTION OF SAID BASE WHEN NOT IN USE AND TO RELEASABLY SECURE SAID ARM TO SAID CARRIAGE WHEN HOLDING THE UPPER EDGE OF A VERTICAL WALL PANEL. 